


boombox & cookies

by sharkfish



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Alpha Dean Winchester, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Fluffy, Gender politics, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Non-explicit references to alcoholism, Non-explicit references to past abuse, Omega Castiel (Supernatural), Purring, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, extremely sappy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-13
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:07:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,659
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22682971
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sharkfish/pseuds/sharkfish
Summary: “I think I misjudged you,” Castiel says.Dean shuts and then opens his mouth like an idiot fish. “What do you mean?”“I don’t do well with alphas and I’m not interested in being flirted with.”“Hey,” Dean interrupts, “I swear that’s not —”“Dean.” Castiel’s voice is deep and firm enough to shut Dean up. “I understand that now, but my original assumption was that you’re the kind of aggressive alpha who just wants to get his knot wet. You're not like that."
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester
Comments: 104
Kudos: 991
Collections: The Destiel Fan Survey Favs Collection





	1. SECONDARY HEIRARCHY BULLSHIT

**Author's Note:**

> *****CONTENT NOTE*** To reiterate, there are non-explicit references to past abuse between Cas and a previous partner. His feelings about alphas, which were triggered by the abuse, is a significant part of the story.**
> 
> thanks to [jemariel](http://jemariel.tumblr.com)

“Haven’t seen you here before,” Dean says to the guy next to him at the bar. “First drink’s on me.” 

It wasn’t meant to be a flirtation, though Jo told him once that  _ with that face and that scent, everything is flirting.  _ But the expression of the omega next to him goes hard. “I’m not interested in your posturing and I’m not interested in being conquered. Kindly fuck off.” 

Dean’s mouth opens to defend himself, then closes. He’s not going to embarrass himself groveling for the omega’s attention, no matter how handsome he may be. Dean drops some cash into the tip jar and leaves the bar all together. 

At home, Dean throws his clothes in the hamper and scrubs at his face, trying to remove the dark scent of saffron from his skin. Darker than expected for an omega, the kind of scent he wants rubbed all over him. 

Shit. He feels like an asshole. He used to be  _ that _ kind of asshole, an alpha who knotted omegas and walked away in the morning, not bothering to give his phone number. Maybe the omegas bonded to him or maybe they didn’t, but he never stopped to wonder. He cringes when he looks back on those years, but surely — he’s changed. He’s worked hard to not be that person anymore, but the omega’s disdain makes it all seem pointless. 

Dean pours a couple shots, then pours himself into bed. He only wakes up once from a dream hazy with a scent thick and dark. 

The following week, Dean’s helping out at the bar on a Monday evening. Ash was hungover enough that he offered an extra $50 if Dean would take his shift. Dean likes money as much as the next person, but also likes helping out his friends. 

He’s cleaning the tea machine in the back of the house when the smell of leather and earth wafts to him. He pauses and somehow hears the gravel of “Scotch, please.” 

“Comin’ right up,” Jo says. 

Dean peeks around the wall to see the omega at the bar, wearing a khaki trenchcoat like a shield. Before he can chicken out, Dean walks past Jo to face trenchcoat guy across the bar. His expression, previously just a work-weary smile, turns to sharp ice. 

“If you work here, I have no interest in coming back.” 

“I just wanted to apologize,” Dean says. The omega’s head tilts as if not understanding the words. “I didn’t mean to… you know. Be a creep. I’m sorry and I promise I won’t bother you again.” 

The omega takes a moment, considering. The scent of fear and anger fades a bit. “Thank you,” he finally says. “Genuine apologies are rare.” 

“I just — haven’t seen you before, wanted to talk a free drink out of the tender. They mostly do what I say.” 

Jo cackles from the other end of the bar, and the omega glances over at her. Jo says, still laughing, “Absolutely no one on the entire planet does what Dean says, because it’s mostly stupid.” 

“Stop listening to my private conversations,” Dean says, flipping her off over his shoulder. 

“Your name is Dean.” Again the head tilt, considering the feel of it on his tongue. “My name is Castiel.” 

“Castiel,” Dean repeats, holding his hand out to shake. “Nice to meet you.” 

Hesitantly, Castiel reaches across the bar to take Dean’s hand for a quick shake. “Likewise. I think.” 

“I am here a lot, so if you want to avoid me…” 

“I like this bar,” Castiel says. “And I’ve heard the burgers are good.”

“Here,” Dean says, passing over a laminated menu. He hasn’t convinced Ellen to make real menus, but at least he convinced her to change the font. “Let me know what you want. It’s on the house.” 

Dean heads back to the kitchen, because of course he’s the only one who can fix the old-as-dirt tea maker. He pauses to carry the burger over to Castiel, who gives him a small smile and promises to share his thoughts once he’s eaten. 

Castiel starts coming more often, sometimes for a burger and sometimes just a beer. Dean thinks it must be on the way home for work, because sometimes he takes off the trench coat to see a neat button-up tucked into his slacks. Castiel shares a smile and indulges Dean in a little small talk.  _ How are you, I’m great, glad to hear it, what can I get you?  _

About a month after Castiel had his first drink at the Roadhouse, Dean lays in bed and tries to think about all the things he knows about Castiel. 

Omega, obviously, under the chemical burn of scent blockers. Dean’s not entirely sure if he isn’t interested in any alpha, or if it’s just Dean that pissed him off. 

He walks to the bar, so he lives or works nearby. From the way he’s dressed, he works an office job requiring business casual dress. Dean’s eternally grateful there’s no reason to wear anything fancy for the Roadhouse or at the garage, but Castiel looks  _ amazing,  _ especially in the light blue with white checks shirt he wears sometimes. 

He has a great smile that Dean only sees when it’s directed at Jo or Ellen or even Ash. Dean’s a goddamn idiot and his heart tenses to see Castiel so friendly with another alpha, even though he knows Ash is alphasexual.

He likes baseball, based on how his eyes are glued to the tv during the playoffs. Dean doesn’t watch a lot of baseball these days, so he should probably brush up on who’s on first. 

He’s gorgeous. Unfairly gorgeous. It makes Dean’s heart ache like he’s a kid with a crush. Dean’s ok with his own face, but it’s nothing like Castiel’s. 

He smells really, really good, and Dean’s desperate to get closer. 

Some nights he drinks a lot. Enough that Ellen asks if he needs help getting home, but he always waves them off and stumbles out the door. Based on his slurring, Dean hopes like hell it’s home he’s walking to and not work to pick up his car. 

On those nights he smells sad. Defeated. Lonely. Dean’s worn that scent himself plenty. 

Dean is in a booth with Charlie and Jo, empty beer bottles cluttering the table. As usual, they’ve ganged up on Dean, but he takes it with a laugh. 

He knows the moment Castiel walks in. Dean licks his lips, like he might be able to taste Castiel’s scent on the air. 

Castiel’s eyes meet Dean’s. His nostrils flare. His scent goes rancid, and he turns and walks out of the bar. 

The next day, Dean’s rut hits. 

It’s not that he can’t manage it alone, it’s that it really sucks without someone else. There’s plenty of friends he could call who would show up to help Dean out, but he doesn’t touch his phone and scrolls through a porn site instead. 

He looks for something new but, like usual, he ends up going back to his favorite.  _ CRAZY ALPHA OMEGA FUCK VIDEO. _

The beginning is the omega, naked and alone on the bed, wanton in the sheets but not touching himself. A camera catches the shining slick on the inside of his thigh, and that’s always the point where Dean strokes his half-hard cock a few times, then moves to brush his thumb over a nipple. He runs his fingertips up and down his thigh — even in rut, it’s nice to ease in slow, take his time, the same way he wishes other people would touch him. 

On the laptop screen, an alpha enters the frame. He’s tall, brawny, his cock thick and proud. Just like an alpha is supposed to be, the same way the omega is lithe and pretty. 

But Dean can overlook that, because the alpha gets on the bed and kisses his omega. It’s not  _ conquering  _ the way most porn shows. It looks like the way mates would kiss, tender and comforting, and Dean can see the omega melt and give himself over to the alpha. 

Dean skips forward to the first time the alpha’s cock slides into the omega. The omega keens from his place face-down in the sheets. Dean starts to stroke his cock for real now, biting at his lip when the alpha’s knot catches and the omega wails. He stares at the slow grind of the alpha’s hips, stares when the omega comes again. When the alpha finally pulls out, come mixed with slick leaks out of the omega’s hole. 

Dean skips forward again, and this is the part that earns the  _ crazy  _ in the title. He accidentally misses the beginning of the scene, so the omega is already sitting against the headboard, the alpha in his lap as he rides down on the omega’s fingers, sliding in and out of him. The alpha leans down to kiss his omega, panting against each other. 

The omega pulls out his fingers and guides his cock to his alpha’s hole. The alpha takes it slow sitting on his cock, though the twitch of his hips indicates he wants more, faster. Once he’s fully seated, he takes the omega just like he wants him, escalating from rocking in his lap and sharing kisses to hard and fast, balancing on the headboard. 

Dean’s knot goes tight and swollen about the same time the alpha on screen’s does, and Dean comes watching the alpha paint the omega’s chest white. 

Watching porn after he comes is awkward at best, so Dean shuts his laptop but keeps squeezing at his knot, though it’s nothing like a partner hot and pulsing around him. 

Dean’s too busy with work to check in with the Roadhouse crew for a bit after his rut, despite the way his thoughts keep returning to the last time he caught a glimpse of Castiel. The way he smelled like milk gone sour, the way he practically ran from Dean. Dean figured out that it must be the smell of impending rut on him that spooked Castiel. 

It’s a busy weekend night, so Dean just loiters around until he can grab a seat at the bar. Ash gives him a grin and a wave, then delivers Dean’s whiskey without asking. “Hey, man,” Ash says, grinning. “You know I’m a little pissy that you didn’t call me for your rut.” 

Dean laughs and says, “Fuck off. I’ve got a long list of people better in bed than you.” 

“Them’s fightin’ words, Dean.” 

The seat next to Dean empties, and a moment later, he smells saffron. The bar is crowded, too many scents mixed together to identify any of them except the people closest to him. 

Dean looks over his shoulder, and there’s Castiel, hesitating. Dean smiles, hoping it’s friendly and not alpha-cocky. “Hey, Cas. Join me.” Castiel’s brow furrows and Dean immediately realizes the nickname that fell out of his mouth. “Oh, shit, I’m sorry. Castiel.” 

Castiel shrugs off his ugly coat and sits next to Dean. He’s casual today in a t-shirt and comfortable jeans, and Dean’s practically salivating over him. Ash left for another customer, but it’s not long before he delivers Castiel’s drink of choice without having to ask. Castiel takes a long drink, not exactly chugging, but more than the small sips that are supposed to be used for expensive scotch. 

“I haven’t seen you in awhile,” Castiel says. 

“Got kinda overloaded with projects at work. More business is always great, but barely sleeping sucks. What’s up with you?” 

“I don’t believe I know what you do.” 

“Considering you can’t stand me, it’s not like we talk a lot,” Dean says, nudging Castiel’s elbow with his own to show he’s kidding. “I restore classic cars.” 

Castiel looks a little startled at the brief touch, but his scent doesn’t sour. “That’s a lot more interesting than junior accountant.” 

“Not to insult you but — yeah, I think you’re right,” Dean says, laughing. 

Castiel laughs along, and Dean internally preens. It’s the first time he’s shared a laugh with Castiel. 

When it dies down, they both work on their drinks, Castiel tensing beside him. Dean finally breaks the silence to say, “You don’t have to — “

“I think I misjudged you,” Castiel says at the same time. 

Dean shuts and then opens his mouth like an idiot fish. “What do you mean?” 

“I don’t do well with alphas and I’m not interested in being flirted with.” 

“Hey,” Dean interrupts, “I swear that’s not —” 

“Dean.” Castiel’s voice is deep and firm enough to shut Dean up. “I understand that now, but my original assumption was that you’re the kind of aggressive alpha who just wants to get his knot wet.” 

“I like to think I’m not like that,” Dean says, breaking eye contact to look down at his drink. 

“You’re not.” 

Dean flushes, this neutral statement from Castiel settling on him as if it were the highest compliment. “Thanks.” 

There’s another silence, but less tense this time. 

“I get so enraged with stereotypes about omegas. Sometimes I forget that those kinds of stereotypes hurt alphas, too.” 

“Man, I’m with you. No one cares if you’re a chick or a dude, but there’s so much goddamn baggage with secondary. And then it’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy where alphas are taught to act a certain way and...” Dean flushes again. “Sorry, my best friend is a gender studies professor. I listen to a lot of monologues from her.” 

“I almost asked her secondary, which is just an example of that baggage, isn’t it? It shouldn’t matter.” 

Dean raises his drink. “To dismantling secondary hierarchy bullshit.”

“Cheers,” Castiel says, clinking his glass against Dean’s. 


	2. FAVORITE ALPHA

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Dean,” Castiel says, sounding like death warmed over. “I — I’m so sorry about last night.” 
> 
> “Don’t be. It’s not like I haven’t been in the same position before.” Plenty of times, but Dean doesn’t say that. 
> 
> “I’m — humiliated. Truly. I thought about just finding a new bar…” 
> 
> “Don’t,” Dean says, sharper than he meant to. “Seriously, it’s not a big deal.”

Dean and Castiel are becoming friends. The kind that run into each other at their bar of choice, at least, but on busy nights they always save a seat for each other. On the occasions when Dean picks up a shift, he gives Castiel a burger for free and Castiel tips him way too much. 

Dean’s been staring at invoices for hours, his eyes glazing over, when his phone rings. It’s Ellen. “What’s up?” Dean answers. 

“That omega you’re pining after needs some help gettin’ home.” 

“That omega...?” 

“Don’t play stupid. Get on down here.” 

Dean locks up the shop and jumps in his car for the short drive to the Roadhouse. When Dean arrives, Cas is half passed-out, slumped in a booth. He smells weird under the stench of alcohol and wearing-off blockers, not like usual. 

“Castiel,” Dean says. “How you doin’?” 

Castiel blinks opens his eyes and a smile sweeps across his face. “Dean,” he mumbles. “My favorite alpha.” 

“Yeah? Always thought you liked Ash more.” 

“Ash isn’t” — hiccup — “as pretty as you.” 

“That’s true.” Dean starts to reach for Castiel’s arm, but pulls back and just makes a  _ come on  _ gesture. “Let’s get you home.” 

“Ugh,” Castiel says, but stumbles to his feet. 

Dean follows him out to the Impala, ready to offer a steadying hand if necessary but not touching. Castiel pours himself into the passenger seat. “Nice car.” 

“I need your address, buddy.” 

It takes him a moment to remember before he gives it to Dean. Like expected, it’s only about a half-mile from the bar, but Castiel certainly isn’t in a place to walk. 

“Is it ok if I come in and get you settled?” Dean says. “Did you drink any of the water they gave you?” 

“Ugh,” Castiel says, fumbling to get the car door open. “Fine.” 

Dean isn’t entirely sure if Castiel is being genuinely sarcastic or if his tone is just drunken belligerence, but he follows up the walk and into the house after Castiel spends too long staring at his keyring to find the right key. 

“Kitchen? Let’s get you some water.” 

Castiel groans and gestures. Dean expects him to fall into the couch, but instead he follows Dean into the tidy kitchen. Dean finds a glass quickly enough and fills it up from Castiel’s fancy water purifier attached to the tap. 

“Drink,” Dean says, passing it over. 

Castiel scowls again — apparently he’s a cranky drunk — but swallows half of it obediently. He hands the glass back to Dean and shuffles down the hall without saying anything. Dean follows, trying not to think about Castiel’s scent covering the house. Castiel’s scent wafting back to him, sweeter than usual. 

Castiel collapses into the bed on his back, staring at Dean. “All right,” Dean says. “I promise I’m not coming on to you, but you’re going to regret it if you wake up in clothes stinking of liquor.” 

“Mmm,” Castiel hums as Dean tugs off his shoes. “C’mere, alpha.” 

Dean’s eyes prickle red with the sudden realization that the way Castiel smells  _ off  _ is because his heat is starting, but he pushes it away, reminding himself that Castiel hates alphas. Still, he’s drawn to him, leaning over to smooth hair off his forehead. 

Castiel sits up on an elbow and grabs Dean’s shirt, hauling him down so Castiel can press his face into Dean’s neck. Scenting with deep breaths, heart-poundingly intimate. Dean’s weak and stupid and can’t stop him. 

Castiel hums again, pleased. “Please stay.” 

“Honey, you know I can’t do that.” 

Castiel gives a soft whine, squirming in the blankets. “You want me, I can tell.” 

“I gotta go,” Dean says, tossing out his original plan to get Castiel in more comfortable clothes. Neither of them could handle that right now without things getting out of control. Dean isn’t that kind of alpha anymore. 

Dean tears a piece off of a takeout menu on Castiel’s fridge and leaves a note on his nightstand with his phone number and  _ Text me in the AM. Let me know you’re ok.  _

It’s a constant annoyance that Dean’s body is so committed to his sleep schedule that he wakes up early even on the weekends. He eats a bowl of cereal in front of MasterChef, trying not to let his thoughts stray to Castiel. Trying not to think about how good it was to feel him close, his breath on Dean’s throat. 

His phone rings, a number he doesn’t know on the screen. He doesn’t usually answer unknown numbers, but he did tell Castiel to let him know he was ok. 

“Hello,” Dean says. 

“Dean,” Castiel says, sounding like death warmed over. “I — I’m so sorry about last night.” 

“Don’t be. It’s not like I haven’t been in the same position before.” Plenty of times, but Dean doesn’t say that. 

“I’m — humiliated. Truly. I thought about just finding a new bar…” 

“Don’t,” Dean says, sharper than he meant to. “Seriously, it’s not a big deal.” 

“I was inappropriate.” 

“You’re makin’ me real tired, Cas. I’m trying to tell you it’s not a big deal but you’re trying your damnedest to convince me it is.” 

“Not a lot of people call me that, you know,” Castiel says. “I like it.” 

“Cool.” Dean tries to tamp down his smile. “So, Cas, I was going to offer to make hangover breakfast, but I think you’re going into heat.” 

There’s a silence so long that Dean checks to see if the call dropped. Finally Cas says, “Yes, that’s true.” 

“Ok then. I’ll, uh, leave you to it,” Dean says, immediately cringing at his stupid mouth. “I’ll see you in a bit I guess.” 

“Goodbye, Dean,” Cas says. “Thank you for your help last night.” 

Two days later, Dean’s just settling on the couch after a long day at work when he gets a text. 

**Cas:** Please come over

**Dean:** Are you ok? 

Before Cas can answer, Dean pushes the call button. “Cas? You ok?” 

“I’m fine,” Cas says, voice rough. “But I want you here.” 

A breathy gasp follows, and Dean closes his eyes as if he can stop himself from imagining what Cas is doing right now to inspire it. “Cas…” 

“Dean.” Cas’s attempt at firmness is ruined by another one of those gasps. “I’m sober and — ah — want you to join me if — if you’re interested.” 

“Jesus, Cas. Right now?” 

“I need you here.” 

Dean’s irises flip to scarlet in between breaths. “I’ll be there in 15.”

His duffel bag is in the closet, and he tosses in the bare essentials— k-condoms, a change of clothes, toothbrush and toothpaste, deodorant, and his strongest blockers. Just in case one of them needs it. 

Dean’s not entirely sure what to expect when he gets to Cas’s, but he probably wouldn’t guess that Cas would answer the door with hair damp from a shower, fully clothed in sweatpants and a t-shirt. He looks perfectly lucid, despite the heat scent in the house Dean can smell even from the porch. 

“Hey,” Dean says, ducking his head down. Of course it would be after ringing the doorbell that he realized he has no idea what to do in this situation. He’s supposed to take care of his omega, he knows that. But his eyes are red and Cas’s scent is a siren song and it’s getting hard to think. 

“Hello, Dean.” Dean looks up in time to catch Cas’s small smile. “Come in.”

They go to the kitchen first, where Cas provides both of them with glasses of water and a beer for Dean. With drinks in hand, Cas sits on the couch in the living room. Dean was expecting a needy omega to be waiting for him, just based on the way Cas sounded on the phone, but instead he has a relaxed, smiling Cas. 

Dean plays along while they go through the usual pleasantries. He’s gearing up to ask —  _ what am I doing here anyway?  _ — but then Cas goes quiet, tracing a finger around and around the lip of his glass. “I’ve wanted to spend more time with you. For a long time, but I assumed after our early meetings, you wouldn’t want to.” 

“Time like… hanging out? Hooking up?” 

Cas tilts his head to the side. “I wanted to ‘hang out’ and get to know you, as a transition into a date, if you seemed interested.”

Dean bites his tongue, figures this isn’t the right time to tease Cas about his air quotes. “I thought you hate alphas.” 

“I — distrust alphas.” Something burnt threads through his scent. “I feel like you might be worth trusting. Of course, a lot of omegas think that and still end up dead or — or something worse.” 

“Hey,” Dean says, sliding closer so their knees bump. “Let’s not think about that right now. I’m happy to prove to you that I’m trustworthy, ok? Even if it takes awhile.” 

Cas rubs a hand over his face. It looks like he’s trying to rub away wetness in his eyes. “I’m sorry, my emotions are a rollercoaster when I’m in heat.” 

“I love rollercoasters.” 

A choked laugh. “I hate them. Both the literal and figurative ones.” 

“I wanted to hang out with you, too. Seemed like you hate alphas so I tried not to think about it much.”

“So both of us didn’t ask each other because of the way I acted when we met.” 

“You could say that,” Dean says, smiling. Somehow his arm is along the back of the couch, fingers dancing along the back of Cas’s neck, barely touching. 

“You’re an asshole.” 

“I’m an asshole who’s here and happy to be at your service. Tell me what you need. Can I kiss you? Can I suck your cock, or eat you out, or fuck you, or knot you, or jerk you off, or finger you?” 

Cas’s lips part and his eyes start to desaturate. “Yes. Yes, all of that is — I’d like to try.” 

“Marks?”

“Ah — no.” 

“Biting without marks?” 

Dean’s intention was not for this conversation to be a seduction. Even if he’s never spent a heat with an omega before, he knows it’s important to talk about it while the omega is still able to, in case they can’t later in their heat. Still, Cas’s eyes are bright and silver. 

“Possibly. This would be the first time, so I’m not sure if I’ll like it.” 

“I should’ve made a list before I got here because now I can’t think of anything else. What am I missing that you’re into?” 

“Can I do any of those things to you?” 

Dean blushes scarlet. “Yeah, whatever you want.” 

“I can  _ fuck  _ you if I wanted?” 

Somehow, Dean’s blush burns even hotter. He tries to pretend he’s relaxed about it, but Cas can probably smell his embarrassment. “Yeah. If you wanted.” 

“Perhaps,” Cas says, looking over Dean appraisingly. 

“And — is there anything else you need? Like, groceries, or… I don’t even know. You’re probably better at this than I am.” 

Cas laughs and leans closer, almost close enough to kiss. “You’re very sweet, and I appreciate your consideration. But I think I’m done talking for now, and would rather…” Instead of finishing, Cas closes the final distance between their mouths. 

The kiss is soft. Unexpectedly tentative, maybe, considering the armor Cas usually wears. Part of what Dean likes about him is that he doesn’t take any shit from anyone, but he likes this gentle and shy part of him, too. 

Dean holds back a growl when Cas opens his mouth to him, but with Cas’s scent this close, Dean feels fierce with the need to claim him. He stays determined to let Cas lead the way, no matter what the roar of  _ alpha  _ inside him says. 

Cas pulls back first, eyes a more vibrant silver and a little furrow on his forehead. “It’s odd,” he says. “I can scent your need to — to hurt me, but you’re not trying to do it.” 

Dean’s eyes flip back to green-gold like a bucket of ice water was dumped over his head.  _ “Hurt  _ you?!” 

“I wouldn’t blame you. I asked you here, after all.” 

Dean stares at him for a long moment. Cas’s scent is more apprehensive than afraid, but it still leaves a sour taste on his lips. “Did an alpha tell you this? Made you think it has to hurt?” Before Cas can reply, “I don’t want to hurt you, ever. I just want to take you to bed and care for you.” 

Cas flushes and drops his eyes to where their knees are touching. “I have a nest.” 

“Well, let’s check it out.” 

Cas’s scent sweetens even further, like caramel on the stove. He doesn’t say anything, but stands to the side when they enter his bedroom. His bed — far larger than a single person needs — is pushed into the corner with Cas’s nest nearly covering it. It looks soft and warm and safe. 

“You went all out,” Dean says, giving Cas a grin. “Looks awesome.” 

“Would you like to…” Cas gestures vaguely at the nest as an invitation. 

Dean takes Cas’s hand and pulls him along to the bed. They go down together, Dean instinctively wrapping Cas up in his embrace. Even through his clothes, Dean can feel the heat fever flushing through his body. 

Cas nuzzles into Dean’s neck, breathing against a scent gland. “Alpha,” he whispers. “I need you.” 

Dean can smell the slick starting to slip down the inside of Cas’s thighs. Dean sees red for a second but pushes it back, forcing himself to think about everything he likes about Cas instead. His intensity, his stoic strength. His awkward jokes and the way he smiles down at the table when Dean laughs. The way his scent doesn’t change from comfortable-pleased even when they’re having a strong disagreement. 

Dean turns his head and Cas takes the hint, pressing his mouth against Dean’s. The kiss goes dirty and desperate right away, Cas throwing a leg over Dean’s thigh and closing the space between them. It’s easy to feel how hard Cas is through the sweatpants and Dean can’t wait to get them off. 

“Clothes, baby,” Dean says.

Cas whines but moves far away enough that they can strip. Dean snags their t-shirts to join the nest but the rest hits the floor. Cas is instantly back on him and their hard cocks slide against each other as they kiss. 

“Please,” Cas says, breathless. 

“Ah shit, I left my supplies in the living room. I’ll be right back.” 

Dean leaves the bed with regret, though the sight of Cas naked and eager doesn’t leave his mind. 

It hardly takes any time at all, but when he gets back, Cas is curled in a ball with his face hidden against his knees. 

“Hey,” Dean says, softly. “Did you change your mind?” 

“No. But it — hurts. When you leave.” 

“Ok,” Dean says. “Keep in mind that now that I have these, I can fill you up with my cock if you want.” 

Cas closes his eyes and makes a quiet sound like he hadn’t thought about it that way. Shakily, he manages to get his knees under him and present for Dean. 

“Holy shit,” Dean breathes, squeezing Cas’s ass and then spreading him so Dean can see his shining wet hole. 

“Fuck me, please,” Cas says, his need mounting. His skin is burning hot and flushed pink. 

“Shh, sweetheart,” Dean says. “We’re getting there.” 

Dean gives his cock a couple quick strokes and then rolls on a condom. He pushes fingers into Cas to make sure lube isn’t needed — and it’s not, Cas stretching effortlessly around Dean’s fingers. 

Dean knows his dick is bigger than a lot of people’s — once someone said he should try porn, but that’s a bit of an exaggeration — so he takes it slow, watching as Cas opens around the head of his cock. 

“Oh, oh god,” Cas gasps as Dean pushes into Cas a little more. And then there’s no sound but the gasping of Cas’s breath as he’s fully seated inside of him. 

“You like that, Cas? You’re so wet that it drips even as I fuck you.” Dean’s taking him slow and deep, just learning Cas’s reactions. “My cock feels good, doesn’t it?” 

A moan escapes Cas’s mouth and then, barely intelligible, “Harder, harder.” 

Dean pulls out all the way at the same slow pace. Cas shudders and whines, whines for Dean to be inside him again. Dean lines up his cock with Cas’s hole and shoves into him, giving Cas what he wants, hard and fast. Cas cries out and comes before Dean has really found his rhythm, tightening around him in waves as he sobs through his orgasm. 

Dean leans down to cover Cas’s back so he can press his face into his neck, breathing harsh as his knot starts to swell with an electric pulse of pleasure. Cas’s voice is rough and saying “oh, oh, oh” as Dean’s knot catches. 

Dean grinds deep into him. Keeps grinding because Cas’s noises are beautiful, keeps grinding until his knot swells even further and he comes, hard and long. A shiver runs down Cas’s spine. 

Moving while knotted is always an awkward affair, but they manage, Dean close around Cas’s back and their legs tangled. In the lull, Dean murmurs, “Was that what you needed?” 

“That was amazing,” Cas says. 

“Your fever is down, so that’s good.” 

“Mm, don’t care about that.” Cas clenches around Dean’s knot to show what he  _ does  _ care about. And then, quiet like a secret, “This is the first time I’ve been with an alpha while I was in heat since — a long time.” 

Dean laughs against his shoulder. “Well, I haven’t done this ever, but I think we’re figuring it out so far.” 

Cas whimpers when Dean’s knot goes down and he pulls out. Slick is covering down to his balls and the inside of his thighs. Dean hopes to lap at his hole soon, taste his sweetness. 

Cas turns over to face Dean, smiling the dazed way people do after fantastic sex. Dean can’t help but kiss him, not devouring, just sharing. In a break for breath, Dean says, “You’re so beautiful.” 

Cas’s lips part and a blush rises on his cheeks. How had Dean forgotten the part where he praises his lovely omega? “You were so good. God, you look incredible presenting to me.” 

“Alpha,” Cas says. The scent of his arousal blooms again. It’s so soon, and Dean prays this won’t be the timeline for days. He loves sex, but that’s an awful lot to handle. “I want to present for you again.” 

“You can, but I’d also enjoy seeing your face when I’m fucking you into the mattress.” 

“Ok.” Cas grabs Dean like he can maneuver him between his legs all on his own. Dean lets him think that, and then he’s staring down at Cas, rubbing his hands up and down his thighs. “Dean,” Cas says. “I need your cock.” 

“Wait just a second.” 

Cas whines, shifting in the sheets. Dean slides a condom on and pushes his cock in him all at once. A minute of slow and deep, testing angles until Cas’s arms tighten around his shoulders. “There you go,” Dean says softly, and then takes Cas hard and fast. 

Cas bares his throat, and Dean bites — carefully, gently — and then again when Cas says his name brokenly. 

Just like before, Cas comes fast, coating their bellies and chests. “Jesus,” Dean says just before Cas takes his knot with a desperate cry. He imagines he’s coating Cas on the inside with his come and he imagines the way it would leak out of him mixed with his own slick. It’s enough for him to moan through the heightening pleasure as he fills the condom. 

Cas stares at Dean’s mouth as they try to catch their breath. Dean’s pretty sure it’s a request, so he kisses him. An  _ intimate  _ kiss, tongues sliding together gentle and languid. The way their scents have melded in the air is intoxicating, removing anything but his omega from his thoughts. 

They’re still kissing when Dean’s knot and cock soften. He groans as he pulls out, aching to be inside Cas still. Dean lays down and presses up against Cas’s side and is startled to realize Cas is purring, just the smallest vibration in his chest. It’s maybe more intimate than the kiss, and Dean puts his hand over the place on Cas’s chest where it seems to originate. 

“Sorry,” Cas says, embarrassed. “I can’t control it.” 

“It’s ok, sweetheart. It’s nice to know I’m doing an ok job with this thing.” 

“More than ok,” Cas says. His eyes are still closed but he finds the energy to play with Dean’s hair absently. “You’re perfect.” 

“I need to get us some water. Will you be ok?” 

Cas nods. Sure enough, he’s still sprawled out looking entirely debauched when Dean brings in as many water bottles as he can carry. “Drink, and then we’ll just rest for awhile, ok?” 

Cas takes a second to manage his limbs and willingly drinks most of a bottle. They curl up together in the nest again, nose to nose, eyes closed. Cas’s hands trace aimlessly over Dean’s skin, exploring him. Dean’s mind is blank, just zoned in to the touch, goosebumps rising in its wake. 

Maybe Dean dozes or maybe he doesn’t, but he comes to awareness when Cas starts grinding against him, hard cock sliding against Dean’s hip. “Mmm, Cas,” Dean says, grabbing Cas’s ass to guide his thrusting. 

“Need,” Cas chokes out, then rolls over to present to Dean, arching his back. 

“Hey there,” Dean says, shifting to his knees. He spreads Cas’s cheeks to look at his wet hole again, then leans down and runs the flat of his tongue through the slick shining there. 

“Oh!” Cas gasps. 

“I know you’re wantin’ my cock, but  _ I  _ want to do this for a minute.” 

Dean doesn’t wait for a reply before getting his tongue on Cas again. He’s omega-sweet and begs for more before Dean’s even pressed his tongue past his rim. “Oh — oh —” Cas gasps, and then moans for real when Dean reaches a hand under him to see if his cock is wet the way his hole is. 

Dean gives one last lick, grabs a condom, and slams his cock into Cas without a warning. Cas’s hands clench white-knuckled in the sheets as Dean fucks him. Dean had hoped he’d hold out a little longer this time, but Cas doesn’t, and the scent of his come is thick in the room. 

Dean straightens up and spreads Cas’s cheeks just in time to watch his knot pushing past his rim. He groans deep in his chest — almost a growl — as his knot swells and punches an orgasm out of him. 

Cas goes boneless and it’s up to Dean to get them back horizontal. Cas is purring again, and Dean lays a hand over his chest as he leaves soft kisses along the back of Cas’s neck. 

The rumble of the purrs slows but doesn’t stop. Cas smells so blissful, so sweet, and Dean just wants to lay there and breathe him in, but sleep tugs at him and he dozes until he can pull out of Cas.

Cas is sleeping for real, radiating contentment. Dean tries not to disturb him as he sits up to chug more water. He’s starving, too, but that will have to wait until his omega is ready for food. 

Dean has barely laid down again when Cas starts to grind his ass against Dean’s groin. Dean’s not surprised since he’s been basking in the scent of Cas’s heat and knew it would happen soon. Dean flips him over and fucks him into hasty orgasms for both. 

By midnight, Dean’s ready for death. A heaven where he can fuck Cas as much as he needs without being exhausted and sore. It’s only been six hours and Dean’s not sure if he can take any more, especially considering that all they’ve eaten is a couple of granola bars. Dean had to stroke Cas’s hair and coo to him about how much it would please his alpha for him to eat even that. 

Cas is draped over Dean’s chest, purring. It smells like sex and Dean is distinctly aware of how the entire bed is a wet spot. “Baby, I’ve gotta take care of some things and now seems like a good time while you’re cooled down.” 

Cas tenses next to him. His scent bitters and he pulls away — with reluctance — from Dean. Dean squeezes his hand and says, “Hey, I meant  _ we. We  _ need to change the streets, take a shower, and get some calories.” 

Cas squirms a little, like he just noticed the state of them and the sheets. “Ok.” 

“Good. Go start the shower, and I’ll join you after the sheets and ordering some food.” 

Dean gives Cas a soft kiss before he heads to the bathroom. Cas was prepared and there’s a pile of clean sheets on the dresser, waiting. Once they’re changed and Dean has done his best to replicate the way the pillows were set up, he lays down to rub their scent into the sheets a little before joining Cas in the steam-filled bathroom. 

Cas is just standing under the spray with his eyes closed. He melts into Dean’s arms, face in the crook of his neck to scent him. “I’m glad you didn’t leave,” he says quietly. 

“Why would I?” 

Cas shrugs. 

“I’m not going anywhere, sweetheart. I’m here until you tell me to go.” 

Cas pulls away from Dean’s neck, wrapping his arms around his shoulders and giving him a soft kiss instead. Dean smiles, and Cas smiles back. His eyes are blue, and they’ve been silver long enough that the switch makes Dean a little unsteady. He supposes Cas probably feels similar about his usual green eyes. 

“We don’t have a lot of time before food,” Dean says. “Is it ok if I wash you? I’m feeling a little — well, if we’re getting rid of your scent, I’d rather it be me doing it.” 

Cas nods and manages to step back far enough for Dean to wash his hair and then the rest of him, slowly and fondly. Touching him eases the reality of Dean’s scent being washed away. It feels less like a rejection from his omega, something Dean knows is irrational but feels anyway, and more like an excuse to mark him all over again. 

Once Cas is clean and rinsed from head to toe, he grabs the shampoo bottle and returns the favor for Dean. Just Cas’s touch is unexpected but delicious, and Dean closes his eyes, just floating on Cas’s touch and scent, quietly content to be with his omega. 

Dean wants to give Cas a thousand soft kisses, but he’s worried about time and turns off the water. He dries Cas before himself and barely has has a pair of sweats on when the doorbell rings. Cas stays behind, just like the alpha in Dean prefers. Dean wants to keep his omega safe from intruders in their den, especially with the scent of heat all over the house. 

The girl at the door wrinkles her nose in distaste but doesn’t comment as she hands over the food. “Have a good one,” she says, raising an eyebrow. 

Cas appears as soon as the door is safely closed and locked again, plucking nervously at the fabric on his thigh. He’s staring at Dean’s clothes, too, grimacing. 

Dean sets the food on the coffee table and goes to him, cradling his jaw for a sweet kiss. “Eat, and then we’ll get back to our nest. I promise.” 

Dean went for a calorie-heavy meal, so they sit pressed close to wolf down huge burgers — Dean’s laden with bacon and cheddar, Cas’s with mushrooms and swiss — and a healthy serving of sweet potato fries for each of them. He makes Cas chug water in between bites.

Cas looks less palid as the food settles in his stomach, but maybe that’s just the flush of his heat rearing its ugly head again. Sure enough, he starts nuzzling into Dean’s neck, purring so quietly that Dean can barely hear it.

“Hey, beautiful,” Dean says, turning his head to breathe in Cas’s scent. It’s mostly hidden under the pomegranate smell of his shampoo, but Dean can still separate that part that’s just _ Cas.  _

“Hello, Dean,” Cas says, as quiet as his purr. 

“I think we need to go back to the nest now so I can scent mark you all over again.” 

“Yes, please. I feel... unsettled.”

Cas stands up from the couch first, gives Dean a sly smile, and heads back down the hall at a jog. 

Dean’s eyes tingle with the change to red irises and a rumble claws up his throat. Cas laughs and Dean holds back on catching him until they’re in the bedroom, and then he tackles Cas into the bed, covering him. Cas’s giggles are muffled by the pillow. 

“You want me to chase?” Dean growls against his ear. “You want me to remind you who your alpha is?” 

Cas arches his back to press his ass against Dean’s cock. “Mm, sweet omega,” Dean says, and bites the side of his neck sharply. He sits back so he can jerk down both his and Cas’s sweatpants, revealing the round of his ass. 

Dean can smell how wet Cas is, and it only takes a couple of strokes to get hard enough to slide into Cas with a quick snap of his hips. “Oh!” punches out of Cas, and Dean growls again, predatory and possessive. 

Dean brushes his fingers gently through Cas’s hair, then grips it and holds Cas down so he can fuck Cas hard. Hard enough that Cas’s slick drips out again, hard enough that Dean’s knot starts to swell when it feels like no time has passed at all. 

“Oh god — oh — please alpha —” 

On the next thrust, Dean pushes his knot past Cas’s rim. The sudden pressure is enough for it to swell, hard and sensitive, to full size. Cas is sobbing into the pillow, but Dean knows from his scent that he’s just overwhelmed by pleasure. 

Dean grinds, comes hard into him, marking him up inside. Grinds more, tugging to create pressure at Cas’s entrance. He leans down to blanket Cas’s back again, nuzzling behind his ear to breathe in nothing but him. He reaches around to stroke Cas’s cock, too, slippery with precome. 

“I wanna make you come, pretty omega,” Dean whispers into his ear. “Wanna make you happy. Wanna —” 

He’s cut off by Cas’s wail as he comes, pouring over Dean’s fist, clenching around Dean’s knot. 

“There you go,” Dean murmurs before digging his teeth into the back of Cas’s neck. More come coats Dean’s fist when he does it and Dean revels in it, the scent and feel of his omega’s pleasure. He’s still restlessly rolling his hips in tiny circles, rubbing his hand up and down Cas’s sweaty spine. 

Dean looks down and Cas’s thighs are shaking, so he grabs him by the hips and maneuvers them onto their sides. Cas breathes a long, sated sigh. In the warm moments tied together, Dean nuzzles and rubs his cheek against all of Cas’s skin he can reach. His neck. The side of his face. His shoulder. Cas purrs and purrs and purrs. 


	3. WEAK

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean sits up with a start. The nest still smells right, but once he steps out of the bedroom, the sting of scent-erasing air freshener scrapes down his throat and he coughs hard a couple of times. He hates it. He’s heartbroken that his omega tried to erase them.

It’s nearly four in the morning when Cas finally drifts into deep sleep, tucked close in Dean’s arms. Dean presses a kiss onto his forehead, soft so he doesn’t wake. They’re both disgusting again, Dean knows, but some primal part of him is so pleased that he’s marked his omega this way, and his omega has marked him in turn.

Dean manages to sleep for a few hours, but it’s fitful. He keeps waking to check on his omega, make sure his heat isn’t flaring again, make sure he’s not too hot or too cold, make sure he’s still purring and his scent still reflects comfort and contentment. 

On a check not long after sunrise, Dean finds Cas awake with his brow furrowed.

“Baby,” Dean says, quiet. “What’s wrong?” 

“We forgot a condom. When you chased me.” 

Dean blinks. At this point he can barely discern one fuck from another, but a vivid memory comes to him: how thrilled he was to mark the inside of Cas. He felt possessive and powerful and ecstatic in that moment.

“Shit,” Dean says. “That was my fault — shit, I’m sorry. I’ve been tested since my last partner but — I fucked up.”

“You used them the rest of the time?” 

“Yeah, I swear.” 

“And you’re negative on everything?” 

“Hey, I know I get around, but I play it safe,” Dean says, offering a smile. 

Cas looks down, biting his lip. “Ok,” he says. “Just don’t forget again.” 

“Is there something I should be worried about?” 

Dean hopes Cas doesn’t take it as an accusation, but Cas smiles while he shakes his head, then leans up to steal a kiss. One kiss turns into two, which turns into a hot make out, tongues sliding together while Dean holds Cas close with fingers tangled into his hair. 

It’s surprising, how long it takes Cas’s hands to get a little more desperate, arching his hips tighter against Dean so their hard cocks press against each other, precome smearing on their stomachs. “You ready for my cock?” Dean says, his voice lowered and their mouths still brushing. Cas’s nails bite into Dean’s shoulder blades and Dean says, “Your scent says yes. How do you want me, sweetheart?” 

Cas’s eyes are silver when he looks at Dean, and the very sight of it makes Dean go flaring red. “So I can see you,” Cas says. 

Dean gently pushes Cas over on his back and spends a moment looking at him, just drinking him in, from head to toe. “Can I suck your cock a little first?” 

Cas blinks like he doesn’t understand the question at first, and then says, “Oh, yes. But you — you don’t have to.” 

“I really,” Dean says, starting to kiss down Cas’s chest, “really,” wet kisses down his stomach now, and then breathing across the head of his cock, “want to.” 

Cas stares down at Dean and licks his lips. “Ok.” 

Dean smiles at Cas and then focuses his gaze on Cas’s cock, hard and red and fucking gorgeous. He starts with a kitten lick to the head, and then again when Cas gasps. He tastes good, though not quite as sweet as his slick. 

Dean wants to spend forever savoring him, finding the best ways to bring him pleasure like this, but Cas is needing so bad so Dean grips the base of his cock and takes it into his mouth. Cas whines  _ Dean, Dean  _ as Dean takes him deeper. 

Dean wants to make him come like this. Feel the throb and hot rush of come in his mouth, lick him clean after. But Cas’s hairpulling gets desperate, so Dean comes off his cock in a slow, wet slide before grabbing a condom and getting inside Cas as quick as he can. 

For the first time, they take it slow. Easy rolls of Dean’s hips, Cas arching up to take him deeper on each thrust. Only breaking their kisses to breathe. Cas makes the softest, sweetest sounds between them, and Dean murmurs praises in to the kisses.

It’s good. Really good. Dean could drown in this forever, but instead he reaches to stroke Cas’s cock, addicted to the way it jumps in Dean’s touch, and picks up the pace until his knot starts catching on Cas’s slick-open rim. 

Cas comes with his face buried in Dean’s neck, scenting and biting. 

It starts to taper off within twenty four hours so they spend more time cuddling and scent marking in their nest, both of them too tired to do much else. Still, Dean is surprised at how easy it’s been to keep up with Cas’s frantic need. He’s heard that being surrounded by an omega’s heat scent triggers something in an alpha so they can take care of their omega all the way through. Dean’s never come and knotted so many times outside of rut before, but he’s glad for it. Glad to know his omega has what he needs. 

They fuck a few more times before morning, unhurried with soft kisses, and finally fall asleep a couple of hours before sunrise, wrapped around each other. Dean’s sleep is deep and dreamless, but it doesn’t last long enough and he wakes up alone in the nest. 

Cas is probably in the bathroom or hopped out to the kitchen for some water. Dean closes his eyes and nestles back into the pillows, then realizes he can’t hear anything — no toilet flushing, no running shower, no footsteps headed back to him. 

Dean sits up with a start. The nest still smells right, but once he steps out of the bedroom, the sting of scent-erasing air freshener scrapes down his throat and he coughs hard a couple of times. He hates it. He’s heartbroken that his omega tried to erase them. 

He finds Cas at the kitchen table, a glass of orange glass between his hands but still full. He doesn’t look up when Dean comes in. 

“Hey,” Dean says. “You ok?” 

Cas’s fingers tighten around his juice. “No.” And then, like it hurts to say, “You should probably leave.” 

_ “What?”  _ Dean says, his heart thudding with fear. 

“Oh, don’t smell like that. I know you didn’t have a choice. And I — that’s not —” his voice breaks, and Dean longs to wrap him up in an embrace, nuzzle against his neck. “I was so pathetic.” 

Tentatively, Dean sits down with him. “What do you mean, pathetic?” 

Cas glares harder at the table, like he could smite it with just his eyes. “I’m exactly what they said. Just another pathetic knot hungry  _ omega.”  _ He spits out the word, like it’s foul in his mouth. 

“Look at me,” Dean says, and offers a half-smile when Cas raises his eyes. “Rut can be like that too. Like I’m just… an animal.”

“You should leave,” Cas repeats, voice shaky and scent going sharp with distress. He looks away. Dean sits there in silence for seconds that feel like years where Cas won’t meet his eyes. 

“Ok,” Dean finally says. 

He doesn’t ask if he can stay for a shower, just dresses, grabs his bag, and leaves. 

Cas doesn’t come back to the Roadhouse. He asks everyone to keep an eye out for him when Dean’s not there, but there’s no sign. Dean’s texts go unanswered and the bonding is taking too long to fade. All he does outside of work is drink and sleep, sleep and drink. It doesn’t help and his apartment feels dark and empty, the scent all wrong, even though Cas has never visited. 

If he manages to drink enough, he can forget about Cas all together.

It’s been more than a month when his phone lights up. 

**Cas:** My therapist says I should apologize. I’m sorry. 

Dean wants to grovel and he wants to tell Cas to fuck off. He can’t decide which so he does neither. 

**Dean:** What for? 

His phone rings. He and Cas may be the only people alive who thinks calls are often better than texts. 

“Hi,” Dean says. 

He can hear Cas’s shaky breath through the line. “Hello, Dean.” 

“So, uh. What’re you apologizing for?” 

“I — things have happened. To me. And I can’t be weak.” Swallow. “You — you make me weak.” 

Dean can’t figure out what to say and fumbles through, “It’s ok to, you know, need people. I think everyone does sometimes.” 

“The way I acted isn’t who I am. It’s not who I want to be.”

“Cas —” 

“And you said you’re an animal when you’re in rut. Someone told me that before. I was afraid you were him.” 

“I just meant I would want you so bad that I would do something stupid like beg at your feet just to scent you or play a boombox outside your window. Shit like that.” 

Cas snorts and Dean can’t stop a smile from breaking out on his face. “My therapist said I need to — try not to see people through the lens of what happened to me before. I’m trying. I’m sorry if I hurt you.” 

“The bond is still hanging around so I guess you did.” 

“Me too,” Cas admits quietly. 

“Did you — did I  _ make  _ you?” Dean drops his head in his hands, willing himself to keep it together, because he just realized that Cas may have a reason to be afraid. “You seemed like you were still lucid or whatever when I got there, but — you didn’t want to, did you?” 

“I did,” Cas says, so sternly that Dean startles. “Don’t think that about yourself.” 

“Thank god,” Dean says, rubbing at his eyes. 

“If you accept my apology, I wanted to ask if you’ll be at the Roadhouse tonight.” 

“If you’ll be there, yeah.” 

“I plan on arriving around seven.” 

“What a coincidence. Me too.” 

Cas sounds like he’s smiling, like maybe he’s relieved too. “I’ll see you later then.” 

Dean gets to the bar early and sits drinking whiskey too fast, mostly ignoring Jo’s attempts at shit-talking. And then Cas comes in with a rush of his scent, unburdened by blockers. Dean’s head whips around and he stands to face Cas, who gives him a nervous smile on approach — but once they’re close enough, Cas throws his arms around Dean’s shoulders and presses his face into his neck.

“Hey there,” Dean says.

“You make me weak,” Cas says, muffled against Dean’s skin. 

“This is the part where I say something cheesy like ‘we’re stronger together.’” 

Cas pulls back just to glare at him. “What?” Dean says with a grin. “I’m adorable.” 

“You’re — something.” 

“I’ll take it.” Dean wants to kiss him, or scent him, or  _ something,  _ but he drops his arms when Cas pulls back.

Jo throws a handful of cocktail picks at them. “You’re making a scene.”

Dean throws a pick back and says, “You’re cleaning that up, Joanna Beth. Get our burgers started.” 

There’s not actually a ton of people in the bar, so Dean and Cas head over to a booth where Jo won’t be able to harass them unless she leaves the bar. Neither of them seem to know what to say, just taking awkward sips of their drinks. 

“I was wond —” 

“So —” 

Dean huffs. “You first.” 

“I was going to ask what you’ve been working on lately.” 

“Oh,” Dean says. For some reason he hadn’t expected that. “I’m almost done with this ‘58 Chevy truck. Look at this, she’s beautiful.” 

It’s easy to talk after that, Cas warming up with small smiles that turn into grins and laughter as they eat their burgers and go through a couple of beers once their whiskey glasses are empty. 

They’re in the middle of some sort of deep meta — punctuated with plenty of laughter — discussion about It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia when Cas halts the conversation with a grave, “Dean.” 

Dean’s laughter cuts out like it was never there, a stone in his belly. “Yeah?” 

“Would you like some coffee?” 

“Uh,” Dean says. “Usually a morning thing for me.” 

“I have decaf at home, if that helps.” Cas raises an eyebrow and the stone in Dean’s stomach mutates into something hot and aching. 

“I — can give you a ride.” 

“Let’s go. I’ll let Jo add our meal to your tab.” 

“That’s a good place for it.” 

Cas smiles, wide and goofy. Dean smiles back. 

Cas’s house smells like a den of omega misery, and Dean can’t help but give him a sharp look as soon as they walk in. Cas winces and says, “I’m sorry. I should’ve sprayed it down.” 

“You’ve been sad. More than sad, it smells like,” Dean says, trying not to sound accusatory. 

“Yes,” Cas says with false calm. “Missing you, I suppose, but also…” 

“Things that happened to you.” 

Cas nods, and Dean decides a hug is probably ok, since Cas hugged him earlier. Dean steps forward and wraps his arm around Cas’s shoulders, relieved for Cas to sigh into it like he’s missed touching Dean as much as Dean has missed touching him. 

Dean says, quietly, “I’m sorry for whatever happened. You deserve better than what made your place smell like this.” 

“Thank you,” Cas says. It’s muffled from where he’s buried in Dean’s neck, but Dean hears and squeezes him tighter. 

“I heard there was going to be coffee,” Dean says once Cas steps back. 

“Oh. I can make some, but I was really just trying to be coy.” 

“I hate decaf,” Dean says, grinning. “But I didn’t want to assume that you were asking me over for anything else. Coy’s maybe not the best approach when you kicked me out last time we saw each other.” 

“Let’s have a beer and watch bad tv.” 

“Cool.” 

Dean sits on the couch while Cas fetches the beers. He’s not sure what’s going on here — it feels like they were just on a date, but the footing is icy. He could slip at any moment. 

Cas comes back and hands him a beer. Dean sips in silence while Cas scowls at his crappy tv and finally gets Dr. Sexy started. On the screen, an ambulance crashes. They watch for awhile, Dean trying desperately not to think about the space between them, and then Cas speaks up. 

“I’m not like I was during my heat.” 

“You said that, but I gotta say — aren’t you? Even if only during your heat? You didn’t turn into someone else.” 

Cas glares at him, hard enough that Dean thinks he might be kicked out again. “No.” He looks around the living room like he doesn’t recognize his own things. “Yes. You’re right. It was me. He knew that’s all I really was.” 

“No, wait. That’s not what I meant.” Dean wants to reach for Cas’s hand, but holds back. “I meant, just because you’re in to some things during heat that you’re not the rest of the time doesn’t mean it’s not  _ you.  _ And, for what it’s worth — I, uh, would like you regardless of what you like in bed.” 

“Vore?” 

“I don’t even know what that is, and no judgment, but it doesn’t sound like something I want to do.” 

Cas laughs and Dean gives him a grin in return. Cas says, “I want to kiss you now.” 

Dean’s memory of Cas’s scent had dulled over their time apart, but it comes back to him now in a rush as he leans in to kiss. It rumbles in his chest like the softest growl. And Cas  _ takes,  _ a ferocious scramble to get Dean underneath him, blunt teeth nipping at his bottom lip and a hand tugging at his hair. 

“Holy shit,” Dean gasps when Cas breaks the kiss to press into his neck instead, huffing just under his ear. 

“You like it,” Cas says, almost sounding surprised. 

“Uh, yeah,” Dean says. He blushes but manages to get out, “You can shove me around any time.” 

Cas sits up on an elbow so he can look at Dean. The couch isn’t really big enough for two grown men to lay out on together, but they’ve made it work before. “Do you want to join me in bed?” 

“You got a nest for me?” Dean says, mostly a tease, but Cas flushes and dodges his gaze. It’s Dean’s turn to be surprised. “Really?” 

“I washed everything,” Cas says, low and embarrassed. “But I didn’t want to — it didn’t feel right to get rid of it.” 

Dean would’ve rebuilt it, too, if they had ended up at his house, but he decides not to say it. “Good, lemme see it.” 

On the way down the hall, Dean nudges Cas against the wall to kiss him, Cas’s hands scrambling against his back, grabbing his ass to pull their bodies flush. The feel of Cas’s cock pressed into Dean’s thigh makes him press his face into Cas’s neck, eyes red and teeth scraping. This close, he can feel the gallop of Cas’s heartbeat. 

Cas pushes Dean back with a hand on his chest, and Dean pulls his hands away from Cas immediately, cringing. “Fuck, I’m s—” 

Cas cuts him off with, “This would be better in a bed.” 

Dean nods and lets Cas pull him into the bedroom. The nest is, again, just the right size for them, blankets and pillows piled and stacked. Another long kiss, fumbling with each other’s shirts, and Dean says against Cas’s mouth, “I want to suck your cock.” 

Cas’s scent thickens so fast on the air that it makes Dean dizzy. “Are you asking permission?” Cas says. “Because you have it.” 

Dean grins and goes to his knees, not exactly gracefully, to undo Cas’s jeans and pull them and his boxers down to puddle on the floor. When he glances up, Cas is staring at him with silver eyes, lips parted. 

In the time since they last saw each other, Dean’s mood had soured and saddened enough that he didn’t fantasize about Cas much, other than vague dreams about touching and holding in their nest, about being surrounded by the scent of an omega happy and relaxed under the adoration of his alpha. But it all comes back to him now, the heady scent of Cas’s arousal, the sweetness of his slick, precome beading at the tip of his cock.

Cas arches an eyebrow like  _ get on with it  _ and Dean hopes his scent doesn’t betray what Cas looming, a hand stroking through his hair, does to him. To cover it up, he licks a slow, wet stripe from the base of Cas’s cock to the tip. Cas’s grip tightens in Dean’s hair as Dean wraps a hand around Cas’s cock to guide it to his mouth, taking him in slow enough to savor. 

Cas gasps and Dean groans around him, high on the scent of a trickle of slick running down the back of his omega’s thigh. Dean’s just falling into it, the hazy rhythm of giving pleasure, when Cas pulls him back — not exactly gently — by the hair. 

Dean wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. “No good?” he says, trying to keep his tone light. 

_ “Too  _ good,” Cas says. “Last time you said — you said that I could fuck you.” 

Dean’s heart stutters but he manages to get out, “Yeah. If you want.” 

Cas cradles Dean’s jaw, leans down to kiss his forehead, helps Dean up and pushes until Dean falls back into the nest. Cas is on him in an instant, licking into his mouth, and Dean can feel the hard line of his bare cock through Dean’s jeans. 

“I should’ve taken those off,” Cas says with a laugh, and with some fumbling and wiggling, Dean is naked underneath him. Cas’s eyes are gleaming grey, his expression almost predatory. Dean notices that he’s gotten a little thin, the skin over his collarbones stretched taut. 

Cas presses his face into Dean’s neck and Dean lifts his chin for Cas without thought. A quick purr rumbles in Cas’s chest, and then he bites. 

Not hard, and his teeth are blunt, but it richoches all through Dean’s body and his knot starts to swell without his dick even being touched, other than the restless press of Cas’s hip against him. 

Dean tries his damnedest to pull thoughts out of the ether of arousal, but Cas nibbles at his scent gland and all Dean can do is whine and arch into the press of blunt teeth. He realizes he’s not touching Cas, his hands clenched in the sheets instead, so he reaches up to wrap his arms around Cas’s shoulders. The flex of his muscles is so pretty under Dean’s hands. 

“So, uh,” Dean says. “I haven’t —” 

Cas sits up on an elbow, a small frown on his face. “Was that too much?” 

“Jesus christ, are you serious? I’ve never been so turned on in my life. But — I haven’t been fucked in a long time. So take it easy, you know?” 

“Of course,” Cas says. He leans down to give Dean a soft, chaste kiss. “I won’t hurt you.” 

Cas slides his hand down Dean’s body to stroke his cock, his eyes widening a little when he feels the slight swelling of Dean’s knot. Dean blushes and says, “You make me kinda crazy.” 

“I know the feeling.” 

Cas sits back on his heels and rummages in his nightstand, coming out with a small bottle of lube. Dean’s mouth goes dry as he watches Cas slick up two fingers and he clenches his hand around Cas’s hip in anticipation. 

Cas gives a quick, wet squeeze on Dean’s knot, then trails his fingers downward between his legs, circles a fingertip over Dean’s hole. It’s barely a touch at all, and Dean thinks he might be teasing until he sees the way Cas is staring where he’s touching, bottom lip between his teeth. 

Dean sighs, soft, when Cas touches him for real, starting to push his fingertip in and then withdrawing. It feels new all over again, and Dean didn’t expect the buzz of anticipation to have Cas inside him. 

“Cas, come on,” Dean murmurs. 

Cas glances up, and then back down again as he slides a finger into Dean. Dean wants to see his eyes, the gleaming steel there, but his own eyes flutter closed and his head tips back. With a dark noise that sounds like a growl — but not quite — Cas shifts to press his face into Dean’s neck, mouth and teeth hot and fierce. 

When Cas pushes in a second finger, fucking slowly in and out of Dean while biting hard enough that Dean’s going to have marks later. Dean feels even more savage with want than he did during Cas’s heat, and he whispers  _ come on, come on, come on  _ until Cas gives in and fumbles for a condom and lube. 

Cas hesitates, and then pushes his cock in slowly, feeling huge inside Dean. Cas has stopped biting, stopped kissing, just nuzzled up and gasping against Dean’s scent gland.

“Holy fuck,” Dean breathes. He can feel Cas’s smile, but feels the roll of his hips even more, deep and intense. 

Dean doesn’t have any sort of complex like having someone’s cock in him makes him less of an alpha, but this feels like Cas is  _ claiming  _ him, in a nest built for them. It’s quiet except for their harsh breaths and the scrape of their cheeks together as Cas marks Dean with his scent. 

Dean hooks a leg around Cas’s hip, pulling him closer and angling him for a hot, languid kiss. Cas cups Dean’s jaw in his hand and whispers against his mouth, “You feel so good.” 

“I know,” Dean says. Cas huffs a laugh but has to know what he means, the way their scents are entangled and building on each other, both of their pleasure thick enough on the air to taste. And Dean can’t separate the scent of _mate-mate-mate_ from the other, doesn’t know if it’s just him or Cas, too, but at least Cas isn’t pulling away. 

Dean can hope later, because Cas’s hand is wrapped around his cock, stroking from just above his knot upwards. Dean arches up to meet Cas’s touch — the hand around him, the slow and deep thrusts of his hips, the mouth back to biting at his neck — and moans, sounding needy even to himself. 

Cas raises himself on one hand to watch Dean as he focuses on his knot, stroking and squeezing, occasionally stroking all the way up to twist his fist around the head of Dean’s cock. 

“Are you close?” Cas asks, quiet.

Dean nods and manages to get an arm between them, the other still wrapped around Cas’s shoulders, to press against Cas’s chest. His moans and gasps and whimpers are just barely louder than the purrs rumbling through Cas’s chest. Dean thinks Cas blushes, but it’s hard to tell when he’s so beautiful and flushed already. 

“I missed this,” Cas says, fingers wrapped tight around Dean’s knot. “I missed you.” 

Dean nuzzles his face into Cas’s neck to hide from him, and bites  _ hard  _ when he comes a moment later. Cas jolts as if surprised by the bite and then shudders as he comes with hot pulses Dean can feel through the condom. 

They pant against each other without moving, Cas’s hand not releasing the pressure around Dean’s knot. It’s nothing in comparison to being knotted inside the slick heat of his omega, but it’s still so good to share this with him. 

Dean whimpers without meaning to when Cas lets go of his knot and pulls out. “One second,” Cas says, giving him a quiet smile. 

Dean, loose-limbed other than tiny tremors running through his thighs, watches Cas as he gets rid of the condom. Cas presses up to Dean’s side again right away, a hand around Dean’s knot again, gripping tight. An aftershock passes through him at Cas’s touch, a little more come even joining the mess on his stomach. 

Dean turns his head to find Cas’s mouth, his scent and tongue sweet as they kiss. His knot goes down quicker than if he was inside someone and Cas gives a final squeeze as he softens. 

The kiss — one long one, or maybe a hundred small ones — ends, but they stay close, noses touching. Dean knows he has a stupidly happy and affectionate smile on his face and thinks Cas does too. 

Finally, with come drying tacky on their stomachs, Cas whispers, “Was it good?” 

“Baby, I think you know it was.” 

“I wanted to hear you say it.” 

“Yeah, it was amazing. You?” 

“Amazing,” Cas says. He reaches out to touch a tender place on Dean’s neck. “I may have marked you.” 

Dean shrugs. “Everyone’s gonna smell you all over me anyway.” Cas’s smile turns smug and Dean pokes him in the ribs. “You’re a little too pleased with yourself about that.” 

“Well,” Cas starts, like he’s going to defend himself, but can’t actually come up with anything. The purring gives him away. 

“We should take a shower,” Dean says. “And make sure the nest isn’t covered in too many fluids so there can be cuddling when we get out.” 

“You can stay tonight. If you want.” 

“Awesome.” 

“I’ll help you make breakfast in the morning.” 

“Also awesome.” 

“And — I understand if you don’t want to right away, or not ever, but — you could be my boyfriend. If you want.” 

Dean laughs and scrambles on top of Cas, pinning him down for grinning kisses. “Awesome.” 

Dean makes breakfast while Cas snoozes, relaxed and mussed in their nest, and afterwards Dean pulls one of Cas’s legs over his shoulder to taste his slick, licks him open until his thighs tense and toes curl as he comes. 


	4. ESPOLÒN-INSPIRED

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Charlie immediately starts the same conversation she always does about the bad-ass omega representation in the show, and the tequila comes out, and by the end of the second episode, they’re leaning up against each other on the couch, giggling. Dean says more about Cas than he means to and ends up sending rambling drunken texts to Cas about how great he is and how he could probably kill anyone with his brain.

When Charlie shows up to Dean’s with Chinese food a couple days later, her nostrils flare and eyes widen. “What the fuck!” she says, punching Dean’s shoulder. “You don’t feel the need to tell me things like this?!” 

“Things like what?” Dean says, even though he knows exactly what she’s talking about.

“You’ve been rolling around in the hay with an omega. And your place doesn’t smell like a funeral home anymore. And that bite!” 

Dean takes the bag of food out of her hands and sits, unpacking it onto the coffee table. “Cas, uh. Called me. We’ve been hanging out.” 

Charlie sits, but crosses her arms and glares at him. “Well, at least you smell happy.”

“Feelin’ pretty good,” Dean says, trying to hold down the stupid sappy smile that comes out when he thinks about Cas. 

“OMG, you are so smitten, you asshole,” Charlie says, somehow stuffing half an egg roll into her mouth at the same time. “Tell me everything about him.” 

A million things come to mind, though many of them are less than tangible — his scent, his quiet smiles, his loud laughter, the way he tilts his head to the side when he’s thinking — so Dean settles with, “He’s an accountant. Really smart. Really hot. Kinda intimidating.” 

“Your sexuality might as well be ‘people who terrify me’ so that’s not a surprise.” 

“Shut the fuck up,” Dean says, flushing. 

“What’s his House?” 

“Dude, I don’t interrogate people about their Hogwarts affiliation.” 

“I bet he’s a Ravenclaw.” 

“Probably,” Dean says, starting the episode they left off on last time. 

Charlie immediately starts the same conversation she always does about the bad-ass omega representation in the show, and the tequila comes out, and by the end of the second episode, they’re leaning up against each other on the couch, giggling. Dean says more about Cas than he means to and ends up sending rambling drunken texts to Cas about how great he is and how he could probably kill anyone with his brain. 

Dean wakes up to a pounding head and a text notification from Cas, which he hesitates to open after remembering Espolon-inspired bullshit. 

**Cas:** I appreciate you comparing me to every scary omega in the entire sci-fi genre, as well as your other compliments.

Dean scrolls up and groans, because the previous text is an ode to the sex they’ve already had and the fantasies Dean has entertained, scattered with autocorrect typos. 

**Dean:** Jfc I’m sorry I’m such an asshole

The phone rings and Dean drops his head into his hand when he answers. “Hey, Cas.” 

“Hello, Dean. There’s no need to apologize. Though,” he says as an afterthought, “I don’t think all of the things you mentioned will be possible.” 

“Yeah. The space station thing is a bit of a reach.” 

Cas laughs, and Dean can imagine the subtle way his scent changes when he smiles at Dean. “Regardless, you can send as many texts about how much you love my cock as you’d like.” 

Dean flushes, even alone in his bedroom. “I’m not all talk, I promise.” 

“You can demonstrate tonight, then.” 

“Um,” Dean says, a coil of arousal waking in his stomach. “Yeah. Definitely.” 

“Wonderful. Have a good day at work.” 

Dean opens his mouth, but the call is already dead. He jerks off in the shower and does his best not to think about Cas all day, but it doesn’t really work. 

Dean can finally admit that for a long time there, he was only spending so much time at the Roadhouse in the hopes of running into Cas. Maybe Cas feels the same, because there’s a long stretch where they just spend time together at one of their places.

Except then Dean gets hit with a sharp case of deja vu when he’s working late one night and he gets a call from Jo. “Cas is in here. Haven’t let him drown himself in booze yet, but maybe you wanna come check on him.” 

Dean’s heart stops. He mutters that he’s on the way and is at the Roadhouse in record time. Cas is sitting on the ground in front of the bar, knees pulled up to his chest in ugly slacks. 

“Baby,” Dean says, but when he reaches, Cas flinches away. Dean takes a step back and squats to be level with Cas. “What’s goin’ on?” 

“I hate alphas. They’re all the same.” 

“Oh,” Dean says. Cas’s nose twitches at the way Dean’s scent has gone bitter with hurt. “Well. You need to get home, ok? I’ll get one of those omega ride things.” 

“Wait. You’re not the same. I don’t think.” 

Dean had chased Cas the night before, pinned him to the bed with his weight and nipped all along the back of his neck. Cas had been laughing and taunting the whole time, and it didn’t even lead to anything, but Dean should’ve known better. Should’ve known that the trust Cas had in him was thin and easily breakable. 

Cas’s head thumps back against the brick wall. It must hurt, but he doesn’t react. “Will you drive me home?” 

“Yeah, that’s why I came by.” 

Cas nods. He makes it to his feet, using the wall for support. Dean holds back from offering to help, but Cas’s shoulder does bump against his as he sways along to the Impala. 

Dean doesn’t say anything until they get to Cas’s. He follows Cas inside and gets him a glass of water while Cas is collapsed on the couch, rubbing at his eyes. 

Dean sits on one of the chairs, partly to stop himself from reaching out and touching. “Did something happen, Cas?” 

Cas looks at him blearily. “There’s been a ‘restructuring’ at work. I have — had — a new boss.” 

“An alpha?” Dean guesses. 

“He fired me,” Cas says. “My work is impeccable, Dean. But, haven’t you heard? Omegas aren’t good with numbers. Too emotional for a job that requires objectivity. And I — I have an alpha, so I should be a good mate and stay home caring for him.” 

Dean’s heart breaks for Cas. For all the omegas that have to live in a world that thinks they’re worth less than alphas. “You know that’s bullshit, right? I know you know that.” 

“I would make a terrible mate,” Cas says, not looking at him. 

“Anyone,” Dean says, trying to hold the fury out of his voice, “would be lucky to have you as their mate.” 

Cas laughs, but it’s ugly and full of acid. “I can’t cook, I hire a cleaning service, and I don’t even  _ like  _ babies. You deserve better.” 

“Is it ok if I hug you?” 

Cas nods and, as soon as Dean is close enough, buries himself in Dean’s neck, breathing deep. Cas’s scent is tainted with drink and sadness, but Dean is still drawn to him, the way he smells and the way he sounds and the way it feels to touch him. “I’m not really into babies either,” Dean whispers. “And I like to cook, and cleaning is a pretty good stress reliever. So I can handle that stuff.” 

Dean realizes Cas is crying when the sharp scent of salt hits his nose. “Hey,” Dean says, even quieter. “I’m not gonna act like I know what you’re feeling right now. But what I do know is that guy is a goddamn moron and if he has a mate, they probably hate him because he’s a misomegist piece of shit.” 

Cas laughs weakly and says, muffled, “Thank you. He just — he sounded just like Michael. And I just…” 

“It’s ok.” Dean rubs up and down his back, just silence other than Cas’s sniffling for a few minutes. “Let’s get you to bed.” 

Cas pulls out of Dean’s arms, rubbing at his eyes and giving Dean a wry, watery smile. “Will you stay?” 

Dean presses a soft kiss to Cas’s forehead and says, “Absolutely.” 

In their nest, tucked under Dean’s chin, Cas says quietly, “He still calls sometimes. It’s been years, and I moved across the country so he would stop — I hoped. It doesn’t matter how many numbers I block.” 

Cas tenses and Dean takes a slow breath before saying, “I’m angry at him, not you, and I know you don’t need an idiot alpha to protect you. But I still want to.” 

“You’re doing a pretty good job protecting me from myself,” Cas says, his tone self-derogatory. 

“You don’t need that, either,” Dean says, nuzzling into Cas’s hair. “But you can call me any time for anything, ok? Anything.” 

Cas nuzzles higher up the side of Dean’s neck, giving a soft kiss and then a nibble to his scent gland. It’s a lightning shock through Dean’s body, not even arousal but a fierce need to hold his omega close and never let go. 

“Goodnight,” Cas murmurs. 

“Sweet dreams.” 


	5. RHYTHM AND RUMBLE

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Usually there’s more warning, a low thrum of buzzing energy plaguing Dean for a few days, before he has to seclude himself away. This time there wasn’t any warning before he woke up, jerked off twice in the shower, and spent the morning cleaning his entire house. His knees hurt from scrubbing the bathroom floor by hand with a sponge and bowl of vinegar water. He put together a nest, too, and made chocolate chip cookies from his own scratch recipe.

“Hey, baby. I gotta cancel tonight.” 

“Is everything ok?” 

“Oh. Yeah. Just — rut’s coming on fast and furious,” Dean says. “I need to go incognito for a few days.” 

Usually there’s more warning, a low thrum of buzzing energy plaguing him for a few days, before he has to seclude himself away. This time there wasn’t any warning before he woke up, jerked off twice in the shower, and spent the morning cleaning his entire house. His knees hurt from scrubbing the bathroom floor by hand with a sponge and bowl of vinegar water. He put together a nest, too, and made chocolate chip cookies from his own scratch recipe. 

A long silence, and Dean cringes. “Oh,” Cas says, finally. “Will you… be alone?” 

“Well, yeah.” 

“I understand.” Cas’s voice is tense. “Please let me know if I can bring anything by.” 

“I don’t think that’s a good idea, Cas. It’ll really suck when you leave.” 

“I could stay.” 

Dean’s heart thuds. It feels like the hardest thing he’s ever done to say, “You don’t have to.” 

“You said you wouldn’t hurt me.” 

“Jesus, Cas, of course I won’t hurt you,” Dean says, just the idea of hurting his omega a knife in his stomach. “But I — sweetheart, I gotta get off the phone. Talking to you is making me kind of crazy.” 

“The boombox kind of crazy?” 

Dean huffs a laugh. “A boombox and six dozen roses.” 

“Can I come over now?” 

“Yeah,” Dean says, his voice cracking as he imagines burying himself in Cas’s scent. Cas’s marks all over him. 

“See you soon.” 

Dean spends the twenty minutes moving a pillow in the nest and then moving it back, fiddling with the blankets, pacing restlessly, his thoughts saying  _ mate-mate-mate-mate-mate.  _

Cas walks in without knocking and Dean’s drawn to him on a sharp wire. Cas’s eyes widen and he takes a step back when Dean stalks up to him, but then laughs a little when Dean nuzzles into his neck and breathes him in. 

“Hello,” Cas says softly, running his fingers through Dean’s hair. 

“Hey,” Dean says. His teeth ache to bite and mark and claim, but he holds himself back. “Glad you’re here. Sorry I scared you.” 

“It’s ok.” 

Dean lifts his head, greedy red eyes taking in Cas’s face, the gorgeous bow of his lips and his outlaw hair and the way his eyes desaturate with his alpha close and needing. Cas smiles, and then tilts his head up for a kiss Dean is more than happy to give. 

Cas pulls away too soon and says, “Were you baking?” 

Dean blinks, trying to come out of the haze of  _ mine, mine.  _ “Oh. Yeah. I made cookies.” Cas just stares, and Dean blushes, looking away. “‘A boombox and a million cookies’ may have been a more accurate description of — how I am. Right now.” 

Cas’s smile is huge and joyful. Dean didn’t realize there was still some apprehension in Cas’s scent until it’s gone and Cas is blooming for him. “Trying to fatten up your omega?” he teases. 

Dean is a little stupid during rut, one-track minded, and he can’t stop thinking about how this is the first time Cas has said it.  _ Your omega.  _ **_Your_ ** _ omega.  _ He bumps Cas up against the wall and kisses him again, slow and warm. 

When they part, Dean spends more long moments huffing breath against Cas’s throat. “What do you need?” Cas says, and then, in a rush like he’s embarrassed, “You can mark me if you want.” 

Dean growls and gives a soft nip to Cas’s scent gland, loving the way Cas shivers and gasps. “I need,” Dean says, trying to focus. It wasn’t too hard without Cas in his arms, but now that Cas is here, it’s nearly impossible. “You. I need you.” 

“Yes, but in what capacity?” 

“The capacity where I touch you and — and take care of you.”  _ Make you smile, make you laugh. Feed you. Cover you in my scent, cover me in yours. Hold you close. Lay my head over your chest to feel you purring. Make love to you, kiss you sweet and soft. Anything you want.  _

“Starting with cookies.” 

“I made chocolate chip,” Dean says, and then there’s a poke of worry in his throat. “If you don’t like that, I can make something else.” 

Cas smiles, running his fingers through Dean’s hair. “I really l—like you. And chocolate chip cookies.” 

Dean drops a kiss on the corner of Cas’s mouth, and then another one, before pointing towards the couch for Cas to sit. Dean heads to the kitchen and flushes with embarrassment, even though it’s just him, at the tupperwares full of cookies on the counter. 

He brings one of the containers out to Cas and settles on the couch next to him, pressed close. Dean loves the way his scent is flushed carefree and relaxed — it’s been awhile since there wasn’t anxiety lining his dark-spice smell, though he keeps telling Dean it’s nothing. 

“Wow,” Cas says as Dean pulls off the lid. “You weren’t kidding.” 

“I don’t joke about baked goods,” Dean says.

Cas flashes him a smile, but Dean almost misses it as he turns to scent him. Cas sets the cookies aside, uneaten, and purrs softly as Dean rubs his scent over Cas’s neck, jaw, cheek. Dean wants to bury himself in the rhythm and rumble of it, live inside Cas’s chest forever. 

Cas touches Dean’s hair and kisses his forehead. “It’s odd,” he says when Dean looks up at him. “Your eyes are red. But you’re not…” Cas gestures vaguely and it takes a minute for Dean to parse it. 

“Later,” Dean says, and pulls Cas into a kiss, hand sliding under Cas’s shirt to feel the purr between his shoulderblades. It makes him growl into the kiss, and Cas’s fingers clench, pulling Dean closer. 

Time disappears while Dean is close to his omega like this, touching and kissing and scenting, a haze of sensation like a drowsy afternoon in the sun. He doesn’t even notice he’s straddled Cas’s lap until he breaks the kiss to find Cas underneath him, lips kissed pink and eyes shining silver. 

Cas brushes his fingertips over Dean’s cheekbone and says, “You’re so pretty.” 

“I made a nest for you,” Dean says, a whisper against Cas’s ear. 

“Show me,” Cas whispers back. 

It takes a lot of willpower to climb out of Cas’s lap and stand. Before Dean can even reach for Cas’s hand, Cas is on his feet and sprinting down the hall. It’s not far enough to Dean’s bedroom for him to give a good chase — he rushes after with a growl, but Cas is already collapsing on his back in the nest, grinning, when Dean catches up. 

Another growl escapes his throat as he climbs on top of Cas, continues rumbling as they kiss. His omega feels good under him, warm and strong and clutching him tight. 

“Hey, alpha,” Cas says as Dean nips his jaw and then his neck. “How are you? You feel a little warm.” 

Dean is warm, inside and out, and he’s mostly forgotten how to make words now that he’s with his omega in their nest. He kisses over the toothmarks on Cas’s neck and then sits back on his heels, tugging Cas up with him to fumble with his shirt. Both shirtless, Dean presses Cas back into the bed and kisses him. Somehow kissing had slipped his mind, but  _ yes.  _ This kiss, with Cas, bare skin and velvet tongues and Cas’s purrs. 

In this moment, Dean doesn’t know a lot of words, just the abstract idea of  _ mine-mate-mine  _ and then three words wander across his brain like clouds parting to see a blue clear sky.  _ I love you.  _

He doesn’t say it, but he tries to put it into the kiss, and then into the kisses he covers Cas’s entire body with. Cas’s scent keeps pulling him deeper into the fog of feral need to worship his omega. 

By the time he’s opening Cas’s jeans with trembling fingers, Cas is breathing in soft gasps, his hand in Dean’s hair. “Can I?” Dean says, hoarse, though he’s not even sure what he’s asking. 

“Anything,” Cas says, and after a pause where Dean pulls off his jeans and boxers, “Within reason.” 

Dean huffs a laugh, glances up to see Cas’s smile and melted-steel eyes. “Within reason,” Dean agrees, and goes back to kissing. Hipbones, the tender inside of his thighs and knees, all the way down to his ankles. 

Cas is so hard it must be aching, but he just watches Dean with no attempt to rush him. The scent of Cas’s arousal is heady and exhilarating and Dean nuzzles back to the inside of his thigh to bite hard. He manages to stop himself before he breaks skin, but knows Cas will have a mouth-shaped bruise there later.

Cas shudders, his whole body going tense, not in fear but in elation. There’s that scent in the air where Dean can’t tell if it’s just him wanting to belong to Cas or if Cas wants to belong to him too. 

“Dean,” Cas whispers, breathless. “Get the condoms.” 

Dean gives him a sharp smile and leans over Cas to dig around for them. He hadn’t planned for Cas being here so it takes a minute to find them in a drawer full of random junk. Cas takes a strip of them from Dean’s hand and opens one while Dean fumbles to get his sweatpants off. 

Cas helps roll on the condom and Dean rests his forehead against Cas’s rumbling chest as he pushes into him. He lets out a slow exhale once he’s as deep as he can get. Fucking Cas is always incredible, but rut has his nerves lit up and it’s like he’s never felt anything better than the way Cas is wet and hot around him. Most of his rut partners have been alphas, but this is about  _ Cas,  _ not his secondary. 

“Shh,” Cas murmurs, tugging Dean’s face back up to his. Instead of kissing Dean on the mouth, Cas presses a kiss to his forehead. “You’re ok. Your omega’s here.” 

“Mine,” Dean says on the next thrust, and then finds Cas’s mouth with his. 

They share gasps and moans between them, and Dean goes back to Cas’s neck, leaving bites down the lovely column of his neck and across his shoulder and then back up. “Please, can I — can I knot you?” 

Cas is gripping Dean tight around the shoulders, but one hand moves to grab his ass instead like pulling him deeper. Dean growls and Cas groans as Dean thrusts hard enough that Cas opens to take him. 

Dean’s knot swells and he comes at the same time, a vertiginous rush of pleasure heightened by Cas crying out and painting the space between their stomachs white. They’re both panting for breath and Dean can’t get enough of Cas’s scent in this moment, thick and heavy spice in the air. 

Dean shudders every time Cas squeezes around him, whining and leaving sloppy kisses over the marks on Cas’s neck and shoulder. Dean can feel Cas’s purring against his own chest, a sensation he doesn’t know how he lived without before. 

Cas turns his head to leave an awkward kiss on Dean’s temple. “Was that good?” Cas whispers. “Do you feel better?” 

“Really good,” Dean says against his throat. 

“You’re amazing,” Cas murmurs, and then they’re quiet, just breathing, Cas stroking Dean’s hair. 

Being on top of Cas until Dean’s knot goes down isn’t the most comfortable Dean could be, but it feels too good to cover his omega, hold him in the cocoon of his own weight. 

Dean pulls out of Cas with a whimper. He looks down to see the shine of slick coating between Cas’s legs and growls at the sight, grabbing Cas and flipping him over. Cas gives a surprised squeak that turns into a gasping moan when Dean spreads him to lick him clean. 

Dean spends a long time licking Cas’s hole, long enough that Cas just relaxes into the sheets, sighing softly in contentment. Once Dean is satisfied, he lays down next to a droopy-eyed Cas, draping an arm over Cas’s back. 

“My ruts have never been like this before,” Dean says. “Not this — intense.” 

Cas smiles and turns on his side to tuck under Dean’s chin, nuzzling against his throat. “You’re enjoying yourself though, right?” 

“Obviously,” Dean says, relaxing into his omega. “Can’t wait for you to fuck me later.” 

“Can’t wait,” Cas agrees, and then his gentle purrs lull them both to sleep. 

Cas makes good on it when they wake up, pounding him into the maddress and massaging his knot until Dean sees stars. After a shower, Dean towels Cas off and then presses him into the bathroom counter to cover him in his alpha’s scent again. 

They pull one of the unsullied blankets to the couch and wrap up together munching cookies in front of Cas’s favorite comfort show. 

“Can I ask you something?” Cas asks during a credits roll. 

Dean sits up from where he was nestled against Cas to best scent him. “Uh, sure.” 

“Why don’t you want to knot me outside of mating cycles?” 

Cas’s scent goes a little stale, so Dean cradles his face in his hands and kisses him. “I  _ want  _ to. Christ, you have no idea. Just figured you didn’t.” 

“I love having you like that,” Cas says, his cheeks a little pink. 

Dean smiles, then sobers a bit. “I don’t ever want to make you feel pressured to do — anything. If…” He takes a careful breath. “If you felt like you had left one Michael to end up with another, I would never forgive myself.” 

“That’s not who you are,” Cas says. “He used ruts as an excuse to hurt me more than usual, but you made me cookies. And we’re watching  _ Friends  _ even though you hate it.” 

“It’s pretty bad, but I can distract myself with my hot omega.” 

Cas smiles and says, “Take me to our nest, alpha.” 

Leaving Cas to go back to work after days together sharing marks and giggles and love is nearly impossible, and after the tenth  _ just one more kiss,  _ Cas shoves Dean out the door and flips the deadbolt. 

When Dean gets home, Cas is still there, looking rumpled and adorable in Dean’s most comfortable clothes. He greets Dean at the door with a grin and a sound kiss. “I missed you.” 

“It was only ten hours,” Dean says, rolling his eyes even though his heart ached all day with want to hold his omega, make sure they’re still covered in each other’s scents. He doesn’t know if this is lingering rut stupidity or just the way it is when you’re in love with someone. “But I was kind of a mess without you today.” 

Cas’s smile widens. “It was only ten hours, Dean.” 

Dean hides his face in Cas’s neck, giving him a sharp bite, to cover his own smile. Cas yelps, but a rumble starts in his chest. “Jesus,” he says. “This is so embarrassing.” 

“Not if it’s for me. I would be pretty sad if you went around purring for someone else, though.” 

“That never happened before I met you, so you don’t have anything to worry about there.”

Dean realizes they’re still in the entryway and he pushes Cas away to pull off his boots and hang up his jacket. Cas bites his lip as he watches Dean, looking like he wants to devour him. His scent says it too, as clear as words:  _ I want to claim you.  _

“Hey,” Dean says, trying to stop his own body from reacting to his omega’s wants. “I’m starving. I need food before… whatever dirty shit you’re thinking about.” 

“Oh, yes. I ordered Thai already. It should be here soon. And then ‘dirty shit.’” 

“Don’t use air quotes,” Dean says. He bumps past Cas into the kitchen. “You want a beer?” 

Cas hesitates and then says, “No thank you. I’m trying to — not do that so much anymore.” 

Dean’s hand veers away from the beer to grab two cherry Cokes instead. Cas ducks his head down and smiles and he’s so goddamn gorgeous that Dean can’t help but but squeeze his shoulder and kiss his forehead. 

“I have an interview on Tuesday,” Cas says into the dark. 

Even though Dean can barely make out the shape of Cas’s face, he sits up on an elbow to look down at him. “Why the hell didn’t you mention that until now? Is it that one you wanted?” 

“Yes,” Cas says. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell you in case it didn’t work out.” 

“Baby, you’re a genius and you’re awesome at what you do, even if it sounds boring.” Dean can imagine Cas’s scowl at that, especially when he pinches Dean’s hip. “And you’re not gonna get fucked over because you’re an omega there, right? You’re going to be great.” 

Cas tugs Dean back down, arm wrapped around him so Dean can tuck close under Cas’s chin. “I am pretty awesome.” 

“I’m willing to be your sugar baby if you want to kick the ass of another omega stereotype.” 

“I’ll consider it.” 

Quiet for a long time, Dean tracing aimless patterns on Cas’s belly and drifting towards sleep, and then Cas says, softly, “I love you.” 

Dean stops breathing, but his feelings are all over his scent and Cas kisses the top of his head. “You don’t have to say it,” Cas says. Dean can feel him smiling. “I know.” 

“No, I — “ Dean pushes himself up on an elbow again, finds Cas’s mouth for a kiss after a couple tries that don’t quite land true. Cas is laughing so it’s not much of a kiss in the end anyway. “I love you too.”

“Good,” Cas says. “After all, what would I do without an alpha to take care of me?” 

Dean laughs, a little giddy, and Cas joins him. It bursts out of his chest the same way his purrs do, and for once he doesn’t wince or apologize for it.

**Author's Note:**

> every comment and kudos means the world to me, even though i'm not very good at answering. i promise every one brightens my day. <3 
> 
> [reallyelegantsharkfish on tumblr](http://reallyelegantsharkfish.tumblr.com)


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